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What Is Domain Parking?

Description: What exactly do you do with a domain name if you aren't ready to use it yet? This piece reveals the answer.

When people buy a domain name they usually go on to create a website based around that domain name and then launch it live onto the internet, where it can be found by other people.

But sometimes that doesn't happen straightaway. You might have plans to create a website on a particular subject and want to get your ideal domain name now before it becomes unavailable.

If this is the case you have two options available to you. The first option is to buy the domain name now and do nothing else. In this case, if someone types in your domain name to try and find your website they will be directed to a landing page. This usually tells them that the domain has been registered, and displays a selection of adverts that are relevant to that domain name.

The second option is to park your domain name so you have more control over what visitors see before you are ready to create the actual website. Domain parking means that whoever registers your domain name will make sure your domain is available on an actual server for you.

This means that when anyone looks up your domain name they will be greeted with a page that you essentially have control over. There are several companies that make it possible for you to monetize this page, enabling you to make some money from it while you are doing the necessary work to build the website the domain name will eventually be attached to.

You might decide to show a message informing people that your new website is coming soon, to let them know the domain isn't just hanging around and not being used at all. You get one page free of charge whenever you register a new domain, so it makes sense to get that page parked for no charge and to make the most of it while you are in the planning stages of your new website.